North American Butterflies and Moths List

The definitive website on wildbirds & nature




The Registry of Nature Habitats

U.S. Geological Survey


Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of Oklahoma

White M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album)
JPG -- species photo

White M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album [Boisduval & LeConte])

Wing span: 1 1/4 - 1 5/8 inches (3.2 -4.1 cm).

Identification: Tailed. Upperside iridescent blue with black borders. Underside grayish brown; white postmedian line edged with black and forming a white M (or W) near tail; white spot near base of costa.

Life history: Not reported.

Flight: Three broods in the north, four in Florida, from February-October.

Caterpillar hosts: Live oak (Quercus virginiana) and other oak species.

Adult food: Nectar from a variety of flowers including viburnum, sumac, sourwood, wild plum, poinsettia, sweet pepperbush, common milkweed, lantana, dogwood, and goldenrod.

Habitat: Woods with broadleaf trees.

Range: Connecticut west to southeast Iowa and Missouri, south to east Texas, the Gulf Coast, and peninsular Florida. Rare stray to Michigan and Wisconsin.

Conservation: Not usually required.

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Management needs: None reported.

References:


Opler, P. A. and G. O. Krizek. 1984. Butterflies east of the  Great Plains. Johns 

    Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 294 pages, 54 color plates.



Opler, P. A. and V. Malikul. 1992. A field guide to eastern  butterflies. Peterson 

    field guide #4. Houghton-Mifflin Co.,  Boston. 396 pages, 48 color plates.



Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford  University Press, 

    Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.

Author: Jane M. Struttmann

State and Regional References:


Opler, Paul A. 1999. Peterson Field Guide to Western Butterflies, revised 

     edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.



Stanford, R.E. and P.A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western USA Butterflies. 

     Privately published, Denver, Colo. 



Tilden, J.W. and A.C. Smith. 1986. A Field Guide to Western Butterflies. 

     Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.

White M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album)
distribution map
map legend

Disclaimer
Return to species list
Return to Butterflies of North America main page